WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton should clarify her position on the issues that face the United States so that the public can learn what she stands for, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in explaining his unwillingness to back Clinton.
“This is a new day, where there is a whole set of new issues, and we need to hear answers on those issues,” de Blasio told reporters on Tuesday.
“This is an election that is a year and a half away and a candidate who has not been in the public eye in this sense for eight years, and we are still beginning to hear what she stands for,” he added.
The New York City mayor, however, acknowledged that Clinton has done “some profoundly progressive things” in the past, including fighting for healthcare reform in the United States.
On Sunday, Clinton announced she was joining the 2016 presidential run, and posted the first campaign video on her official YouTube account.
The former Secretary of State is considered the strongest candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. But White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday that US President Barack Obama will not immediately endorse Hillary Clinton because some of his other friends might join the 2016 presidential race.
Other Democratic candidates might include US Vice President Joe Biden, former US state of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and former US Senator Jim Webb from Virginia, according to local media reports.